Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 90
90 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and if you have any questions, you are most welcome to ask. ” The Reality About Reward and Punishment Mr Dickson said: “Does God punish in this world or in the next world?” 1 His Holiness as responded: “I have understood your question. From what God Almighty has taught us through the Prophets—and authentic events have testi - fied to the same—it is clearly evident that God has established the law of reward and punishment in such a way that it begins in this very world. A person who is guilty of insolence and mischief, whether they perceive their own conduct or not, receives their punishment and recompense in this very world. This serves as a warning so that an insolent person may bring about a meaningful transforma - tion in their own state through repentance and by turning towards God. This also enables a person to realise their own negligence towards God Almighty in strengthening their bond of servitude with Him. At such a time, one either ben - efits from this warning and seeks the cure for one’s weakness with the support of Allah Almighty, or becomes even more brazen due to their wretched nature, and grows in transgression and mischief until one reaches hell. The punishments that are given in this world as warnings are like the ones given at school. When minor punishments are given to children at school if they are negligent or careless, this is not because the teacher desires to deprive them from learning. In fact, the pur - pose is to draw their attention to their greater purpose, so that they become more vigilant and careful in future. Similarly, when God gives certain punishments for vice and mischief, His purpose is so that the foolish person who is wronging their own soul may learn of the consequences of their own evil, fear Allah the Exalted for His greatness and power, and then turn to Him. I have mentioned this to my community countless times, and now I tell you as well, that when a person per - forms an action, by way of consequence, there is a reaction from God Almighty. For example, if we were to consume a sufficient amount of poison, the neces - sary consequence would be that we would die. In this example, consuming the poison is our own action, and in turn the action reciprocated by God is that He causes one to die as a result. Now, if we were to close the windows in our room, this would be our action; the action of Allah the Exalted by way of consequence would be that the room would become dark. It is in this manner that the law of 1 Al-Hakam , vol. 5, no. 47, dated 24 December 1901, pp. 1-3 p. 363